Counties in Kentucky by unemployment rate

Martin County had the highest unemployment rate of 120 counties in July 2026, at 10.1%. Woodford County had the lowest, at 4.1%. The median was 5.35% and the figure for Kentucky was 4.7%. Source: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Highest10.1Martin County
Median5.35120 counties
Kentucky4.7History

Top 40 counties, July 2026

CSVChart (SVG)

Martin CountyMartin County: 10.1 %10.1Wolfe CountyWolfe County: 9.5 %9.5Lewis CountyLewis County: 9 %9Elliott CountyElliott County: 8.9 %8.9Magoffin CountyMagoffin County: 8.4 %8.4Jackson CountyJackson County: 8.3 %8.3Carter CountyCarter County: 7.9 %7.9Lawrence CountyLawrence County: 7.8 %7.8Pike CountyPike County: 7.4 %7.4Knott CountyKnott County: 7.3 %7.3Harlan CountyHarlan County: 7.2 %7.2Wayne CountyWayne County: 7.1 %7.1Knox CountyKnox County: 7 %7Menifee CountyMenifee County: 7 %7Clay CountyClay County: 6.9 %6.9McCreary CountyMcCreary County: 6.7 %6.7Floyd CountyFloyd County: 6.6 %6.6Grayson CountyGrayson County: 6.6 %6.6Johnson CountyJohnson County: 6.6 %6.6Greenup CountyGreenup County: 6.5 %6.5Bell CountyBell County: 6.4 %6.4Christian CountyChristian County: 6.4 %6.4Mason CountyMason County: 6.4 %6.4Rowan CountyRowan County: 6.4 %6.4Breathitt CountyBreathitt County: 6.3 %6.3Estill CountyEstill County: 6.3 %6.3Bath CountyBath County: 6.2 %6.2Laurel CountyLaurel County: 6.2 %6.2Morgan CountyMorgan County: 6.2 %6.2Edmonson CountyEdmonson County: 6.1 %6.1Muhlenberg CountyMuhlenberg County: 6.1 %6.1Fleming CountyFleming County: 6 %6Fulton CountyFulton County: 6 %6Robertson CountyRobertson County: 6 %6Calloway CountyCalloway County: 5.9 %5.9Hickman CountyHickman County: 5.9 %5.9Madison CountyMadison County: 5.9 %5.9Rockcastle CountyRockcastle County: 5.9 %5.9Boyd CountyBoyd County: 5.8 %5.8Clinton CountyClinton County: 5.8 %5.8
%. Source: BLS. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCountiesJuly 2026 (%)Change on July 2025
1Martin County10.1-0.3 pts
2Wolfe County9.50 pts
3Lewis County9+0.2 pts
4Elliott County8.9+0.8 pts
5Magoffin County8.4-0.7 pts
6Jackson County8.3+0.1 pts
7Carter County7.9-0.1 pts
8Lawrence County7.8+0.2 pts
9Pike County7.4-0.8 pts
10Knott County7.3-0.4 pts
11Harlan County7.2-0.7 pts
12Wayne County7.1+0.2 pts
13Knox County7-0.2 pts
13Menifee County7+0.1 pts
15Clay County6.9-0.5 pts
16McCreary County6.7-0.3 pts
17Floyd County6.6-0.5 pts
17Grayson County6.60 pts
17Johnson County6.6-0.5 pts
20Greenup County6.5-0.2 pts
21Bell County6.4-0.7 pts
21Christian County6.4-0.1 pts
21Mason County6.4-0.2 pts
21Rowan County6.4-0.4 pts
25Breathitt County6.3-0.9 pts
25Estill County6.3-0.2 pts
27Bath County6.2-0.6 pts
27Laurel County6.2-0.3 pts
27Morgan County6.2-0.5 pts
30Edmonson County6.1-0.1 pts
30Muhlenberg County6.1-0.3 pts
32Fleming County6-0.6 pts
32Fulton County6-0.6 pts
32Robertson County6-0.6 pts
35Calloway County5.9-0.1 pts
35Hickman County5.9+0.6 pts
35Madison County5.9+0.4 pts
35Rockcastle County5.9+0.2 pts
39Boyd County5.8-0.3 pts
39Clinton County5.8-0.5 pts
39Hardin County5.8+0.4 pts
39Leslie County5.8-0.5 pts
39Letcher County5.8-0.5 pts
39Marion County5.8-0.6 pts
45Butler County5.70 pts
45Crittenden County5.7+0.2 pts
45Lincoln County5.7-0.3 pts
45Taylor County5.7-0.5 pts
49Breckinridge County5.6-0.4 pts
49Ohio County5.6-0.7 pts
51Lee County5.50 pts
51Marshall County5.50 pts
51Trigg County5.50 pts
54Ballard County5.4-0.3 pts
54Casey County5.4-0.5 pts
54Green County5.4-0.5 pts
54Logan County5.4+0.1 pts
54Montgomery County5.4-0.3 pts
54Owsley County5.4-0.8 pts
54Simpson County5.4+0.2 pts
61Barren County5.3-0.2 pts
61Boyle County5.3-0.4 pts
61Bullitt County5.30 pts
61Meade County5.3+0.1 pts
61Mercer County5.3+0.1 pts
61Pulaski County5.3-0.1 pts
61Whitley County5.3-0.4 pts
68Hancock County5.2-0.3 pts
68Jefferson County5.2+0.2 pts
68Larue County5.2+0.2 pts
68Livingston County5.20 pts
68Perry County5.2-0.3 pts
73Adair County5.1-0.5 pts
73Hart County5.1-0.1 pts
73McLean County5.10 pts
73Nelson County5.10 pts
73Spencer County5.10 pts
78Carlisle County5-0.2 pts
78Henderson County5-0.1 pts
78Hopkins County5-0.4 pts
78Lyon County50 pts
78McCracken County5-0.1 pts
78Powell County5-0.1 pts
78Webster County5-0.4 pts
85Bracken County4.9-0.7 pts
85Henry County4.90 pts
85Monroe County4.90 pts
85Nicholas County4.9-0.1 pts
85Union County4.9-0.1 pts
90Anderson County4.8-0.4 pts
90Gallatin County4.8-0.2 pts
90Graves County4.80 pts
90Metcalfe County4.8-0.3 pts
90Russell County4.8-0.5 pts
90Warren County4.8-0.2 pts
96Allen County4.7-0.3 pts
96Bourbon County4.7+0.1 pts
96Caldwell County4.7-0.4 pts
96Grant County4.7-0.1 pts
96Owen County4.7-0.3 pts
96Pendleton County4.7-0.3 pts
102Clark County4.6-0.3 pts
102Daviess County4.6-0.2 pts
102Garrard County4.6-0.3 pts
102Washington County4.6-0.2 pts
106Carroll County4.5-0.3 pts
106Jessamine County4.5-0.2 pts
106Oldham County4.50 pts
106Shelby County4.5-0.1 pts
106Todd County4.5-0.1 pts
111Franklin County4.4-0.4 pts
111Harrison County4.4-0.1 pts
111Trimble County4.4-0.3 pts
114Boone County4.3-0.2 pts
114Fayette County4.3-0.1 pts
114Kenton County4.3-0.1 pts
114Scott County4.3-0.2 pts
118Campbell County4.2-0.2 pts
119Cumberland County4.1-0.4 pts
119Woodford County4.1-0.2 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Unemployed people as a percentage of the labour force, using the survey definition of unemployment: without work, available and looking for work. Spain: EPA, aged 16 and over. EU: Labour Force Survey, aged 15 to 74. United States: civilian labour force aged 16 and over, from the Current Population Survey for the nation and from BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics models, consistent with that survey, for states and counties. Other countries and the World: ILO modelled estimates published by the World Bank, aged 15 and over.

Survey-based. Available for Spain, regions, provinces, EU countries, US states and US counties, not Spanish municipalities. For municipalities use registered_unemployment_rate. US national and state rates are seasonally adjusted; county rates are not. Countries without a national or Eurostat series get the annual ILO modelled estimate, a model output rather than a survey result.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Local Area Unemployment Statistics: unemployment rate by county, not seasonally adjusted. https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Questions

Which county has the highest unemployment rate?

Martin County, with 10.1% in July 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Which county has the lowest unemployment rate?

Woodford County, with 4.1% in July 2026.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics: unemployment rate by county, not seasonally adjusted. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Unemployment rate: other rankings

Counties in Kentucky: more rankings